A State Councillor of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国国务委员; pinyin: guówù wěiyuán) serves as a senior vice leader within the State Council and shares responsibilities with the Vice Premiers in assisting the Premier in the administration and coordination of governmental affairs.
History
The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council, when eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then.
Role
The state councillors are nominated by the premier, who are then approved by the National People's Congress and appointed by the president. Candidates for top positions including the state councillors are first approved first by the CCP's Politburo Standing Committee, and then by its Politburo, then approved in a special plenary session the Central Committee just before the NPC session for vote by the Congress, with the premier nominating the candidates during the NPC session.
State councillors are members of the executive meetings of the State Council, along with the premier, vice premiers, and the secretary-general. The state councilors selected once every five years and are limited to two terms. The state councillors are tasked with assisting the premier, as well as be entrusted by the premier to take charge of work in certain fields or take certain special tasks. State councillors can also represent the State Council on foreign visits.
State councillors often accompany China's higher dignitaries on trips abroad, as was the case with State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan from 2003 to 2008, and Dai Bingguo from 2008 to 2013. Dai also became China's representative at the 2009 G8 summit in Italy when President Hu Jintao decided to cut short his attendance to return to China in order to deal with the July 2009 Ürümqi riots.
List of state councillors
5th State Council (1982–1983)
